Consulting case studies

Medical malpractice workshops, Authority for Medical Responsibility, Kuwait

A series of workshops on medical malpractice were recently held in partnership with the Authority for Medical Responsibility (AMR) in Kuwait.

The aim of the workshops was to improve knowledge in handling clinical negligence cases. We did this by sharing UK best practices and fostering meaningful international collaboration. The two-day event brought together 60 participants from Kuwait’s medical and legal communities. This initiative set a new benchmark for excellence in this field.

Dr. Salman Al-Sabah, President of AMR, remarked:

"This collaboration with GMC and GMCSI underscores the importance of sharing expertise across borders to drive meaningful change. These workshops reflect our shared vision for advancing medical accountability and ensuring justice through evidence-based approaches”.

Participants received certificates of completion. Recognising their commitment to professional development and their vital role in strengthening medical accountability. Positive feedback emphasised the workshops' practical value in delivering actionable insights.

Case examination and decision making workshop, Authority for Medical Responsibility, Kuwait

We held a three-day workshop around the handling of complaints. With a particular focus on case examination and decision making, from a case investigations perspective, as well as assessing evidence and making final decisions in relation to complaints made against healthcare practitioners.

The Authority for Medical Responsibility (AMR), Kuwait, has the sole responsibility for addressing concerns about healthcare practitioners in Kuwait. It was formed in 2022 with the sole purpose of investigating complaints made against all healthcare practitioners within the country. 

"At AMR, we are dedicated to upholding the highest standards and best practices in our field. It was an obvious step to turn to GMC's renowned expertise, which is rooted in the UK's legacy of evidence-based healthcare practices. This insightful workshop has expanded our knowledge and brought added depth to our established practices and procedures. Our previous engagements with GMC have been very fruitful, and we look forward to expanding our collaborations even further in the future." — Dr. Salman Al-Sabah, President of AMR. 

Attendees learned about:

• thresholds for investigation and how to collect evidence
• the importance of consistency
• impartiality and transparency in decision making
• skills required to draft a good decision. 

Healthcare systems strengthening project

GMC Services International (GMCSI) was selected to lead a team of British subject matter experts for an ODA-funded project. The project was focused on strengthening the health workforce through education and training. With specific focus on using a preventative approach, especially when it comes to addressing healthcare challenges around non-communicable diseases (NCDs).

We were the main UK contact for the client, providing overall project management and the management of project logistics. Subject matter experts sharing their insights and expertise were from the GMC, Imperial College London (ICL), the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and two independent nursing consultants.

We provided guidance and shared knowledge in all areas to do with the integration of primary healthcare competencies into medical curricula and standards. ICL subject matter experts held workshops to share expertise on encouraging medical doctors to engage in continuing professional development (CPD) to remain fit to practise, and also covered licensing, certification and re-certification mechanisms for medical doctors. 

This sharing of subject matter expertise was a successful formula and they commissioned further consulting work to continue some of the workstreams.

Restructuring a medical council 

A health council felt that their current structure was not allowing them to deliver against their objectives. They wanted to improve the way it regulated medical doctors. We analysed the current organisational structure and interviewed both internal and external stakeholders.

The stakeholders highlighted what was working and what they felt required improvement. After considering this important feedback and using our 160+ years of experience as a regulator in the United Kingdom, we made recommendations to make the organisation more effective through an organisational restructure. We also recommended they employ additional resources to reduce the time it was taking to process complaints made against medical doctors.

Review of national medical school standards

We carried out a detailed analysis for an overseas Ministry of Health, on a set of proposed national medical school standards. Benchmarking them against global best practice. The purpose was to raise standards of medical education and training to enhance the country’s reputation as a centre of healthcare excellence.

We appointed a highly experienced and multi-disciplinary review panel to consider all relevant aspects of the standards. Reviewing every section and each individual standard at a detailed level. They conducted interviews with senior stakeholders of each of the medical schools to capture qualitative feedback on the school perspective. They then developed detailed findings and recommendations and grouped them by appropriate themes to form a basis for integrated implementation. The Ministry was able to proceed with implementing a set of standards across all its medical schools that were benchmarked against global best practice.

They also looked at workforce planning and the ongoing quality assurance of medical schools. They conducted a detailed analysis of the country’s medical education systems. Comparing existing process and practices against global best practice.

Strategic review of an overseas regulator

We completed a comprehensive strategic review of an overseas regulator. Commissioned by the Minister of Health, we advised on the recruitment and retention of the doctor workforce.

We scoped the work with the Minister’s team and key stakeholders and carried out a literature review. Five key themes emerged, and these helped to shape the planning, delivery, and final outputs of the review. Subject matter experts interviewed senior stakeholders and doctors from several different organisations, as well as staff at all levels. They reviewed documentation against practise to triangulate the findings.

The final outputs were a set of recommendations and an implementation plan based on five strategic programmes. These will deliver a target operating model refined for the customer’s specific market. As a result of the review, the Ministry was able to move forward with reforms to the regulatory framework to optimise the supply of doctors and progress the implementation of its healthcare strategy.